Batting

KENT, Ohio –The bats for the Ohio Softball team (22-13, 10-1 MAC) came alive today, hitting eight total homeruns, helping propel the Bobcats to a doubleheader sweep of Mid-American Conference East foe Kent State (19-16, 5-6 MAC) Wednesday afternoon at the Diamond at Dix. The Bobcats downed the Golden Flashes 4-2 in game one, and came back and put on an offensive clinic in game two, defeating Kent State, 22-7 in five innings in game two.

In the second game of the doubleheader, Ohio hit six homeruns, setting the Ohio and MAC record for homeruns in a game. The Bobcats' 22 runs scored is a new Ohio record for runs scored in a game, and is the second most scored in a MAC game. Alex Day's eight RBI is the second-most in MAC history in a single game.

GAME ONE: Ohio 4, Kent State 2 The Bobcats would the designated home team for the first game of the doubleheader, as the game is serving as a makeup game for the rainouts last week in Athens.

Kent State struck first in the top of the first inning. Kennadie Goth led the game off after getting hit by a pitch. She then went to second on a sacrifice bunt. Then with two outs, Bailey Brownfield would single home Goth, putting Kent State up early. Starting pitcher Danielle Stiene (Loveland, Ohio) would strike out the final batter of the inning to send the game to the bottom of the second trailing 1-0.

Ohio would try to strike in the bottom of the frame. With one out, Alex Day (Hilliard, Ohio) would reach first after catcher interference was called. She would then move to second when Natalie Alvarez (Long Beach, Calif.) drew a walk putting runners on first and second with two outs. Unfortunately, Ohio would be unable to score and would go to the top of the second trailing, 1-0.

After Kent State went down in order in the top of the second, Ohio would threaten again in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Alexa Holland (Rochester, Ind.) would draw a walk and then move to second when Allie Englant (Long Beach, Calif.) singled to left field. Both baserunners would move up a base on a sacrifice bunt, putting runners on second and third with two outs. Unfortunately, the Bobcats would be unable to push a run across and would go to the top of the third trailing, 1-0.

The Bobcats would take the lead in the bottom of the third inning. With one out, Katie Yun (North Canton, Ohio) would drive a homerun to centerfield, tying the game at 1-1. Alvarez and Morgan Geno (Chillicothe, Ohio) would both draw walks, putting runners on first and second with two outs. Holland would then come to the plate and place a single into center, scoring Alvarez from second and giving Ohio a 2-1 lead going to the fourth.

Kent State would get runners on in the top of the fourth inning, when the first two batters would draw walks, putting runners on first and second with no outs. However, Stiene and the Bobcat defense would get the final three batters out, getting out of the jam and going to the bottom of the fourth leading 2-1.

Ohio would try to add on in the bottom of the fourth inning. Taylor Saxton (Circleville, Ohio) led the inning off with an infield single. She would then move to third on a double down the leftfield line by Mikayla Cooper (Delaware, Ohio), putting runners on second and third with no outs. However, the Kent State defense would be able to get the next three batters out, sending the game to the fifth with Ohio leading 2-1.

Kent State would tie the game in the top of the fifth inning when Kaitlyn Miller drew a walk to lead off the inning. She would then move to second when Goth reached on an infield single. Emily Dobbin would follow up that hit with a single of her own, scoring Miller from second to tie the game at 2-2. Stiene and the Ohio defense would then retire the next three batters, sending the game to the bottom of the fifth with the game tied at 2-2.

Ohio responded in the bottom of the fifth when Michaela Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio) led the inning off with a single up the middle. Geno would then come to the plate and send a rocket over the left field wall, giving Ohio a 4-2 lead. With two outs, Saxton would reach first with an infield single. However, she would be caught stealing second and would send the game to the top of the sixth with Ohio leading 4-2.

Kent State would try and get a run back in the top of the sixth inning. With two outs, Carlee Selle would double to right center. However, Stiene would get the next batter to fly out to left field, sending to game to the bottom of the frame with Ohio leading 4-2.

Ohio would try and add on in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Yun would crush a double off the right field wall. However, Kent State would get the final batter out, sending the game to the seventh with the Bobcats leading 4-2.

Kent State would try and rally in the top of the seventh inning after Goth reached on an error. However, the Bobcats would retire the next three batters and would seal the game one, 4-2, win.

At the plate, the Bobcats scored four runs on nine hits. Yun went 2-for-4 with a double, homerun, RBI and run scored, while Saxton went 2-for-2. Gen went 1-for-2 with a homerun, two RBI, run scored and drew a walk. Holland added a hit and an RBI, while Englant, Cooper and Dorsey all added hits for the Bobcats.

In the circle, Stiene got the start, going seven innings, allowing two runs on six hits, walked three and struck out six batters for her 14thwin of the season.

GAME TWO: Ohio 22, Kent State 7 (Five Innings) The Bobcats would strike first in the top of the first inning. Cooper and Day would lead the game off with back-to-back singles up the middle. Yun would the come to the plate and drive her second homerun of the day to straight away center, giving Ohio the early 3-0 lead. Kent State would get the next three batters out, sending the game to the bottom of the frame leading 3-0.

After starter Kendall Meeks (Guysville, Ohio) sent Kent State down in order in the bottom of the first, the Bobcats would add on in the top of the second. Holland would lead off with her first career-homerun to centerfield, putting Ohio up 4-0. Englant would then reach on an infield single. Saxton would then draw a walk and both runners would advance on a sacrifice fly to right. Then with runners on first and second and one out, Day would crush a homerun to right field, putting Ohio up 7-0. Kent State would make a pitching change and they would get the final two outs of the inning, sending the game to the bottom of the second inning with Ohio leading 7-0.

Kent State would get on the board in the bottom of the second inning. Holly Speers would lead off with a single to center. She would then move to second on a throwing error, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Both runners would then score on a single from Jen Cader, cutting Ohio's lead to 7-2. The Bobcats would regroup after the RBI single and the Ohio defense would get the next three batters out, sending the game to the third inning with Ohio leading 7-2.

Ohio would add on in top of the third. Dorsey, Geno and Englant would all draw walks to load the bases with one out. Saxton would then draw a bases loaded walk, scoring Dorsey. Geno would score when Cooper reached on an error, followed up by Englant scoring on a wild pitch, putting Ohio up 10-2. Ohio wasn't done yet, as Day would demolish her second homerun of the game to right field, giving Ohio a 13-2 lead going to the bottom of the third.

Kent State would get two runs in the bottom of the third on a two-run homerun from Speers, making the score 13-4 going into the top of the fourth.

Ohio added on in the top of the fourth. Geno led the inning off with her second homerun of the day. Holland would then double and then score on a single from Englant. Saxton would then draw a walk and then Cooper would reach on a fielder's choice, putting runners on first and second with one out. Day would then single, scoring Saxton and giving Ohio the 16-4 lead.

The Bobcats weren't done, still with one out, Yun would double to score Cooper. Then Alvarez would come to the plate and hit her second homerun of the season, clearing the bases and giving Ohio the 20-4 lead. MacKenzie Brunswick (Bellefontaine, Ohio) would enter the game to pinch hit and would double off the right field wall. However, the Bobcats would not add on and would go to the bottom of the inning with a 20-4 lead.

Kent State would get three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, making the score 20-7 going into the fifth inning.

The Bobcats would add on in the top of the fifth inning when Saxton scored on a single from Day. Later in the inning, Day would score on a ground out from Brunswick, giving Ohio a 22-7 lead going into the bottom of the fifth.

At the plate, Ohio scored 22 runs on 17 hits. Leading the way was Day who went 5-for-5 with two homeruns, five runs scored and eight RBI. Yun went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, a homerun, double and four RBI, and Holland went 2-for-3 with a homerun and two runs scored. Englant also went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Alvarez added a homerun and three RBI, while Cooper, Brunswick, Geno and Saxton all added hits as well.

In the circle, Meeks got the start, going four innings, allowing seven runs on six hits, walked two and struck out one. Desirae Villanueva (Surrey, British Columbia) entered the game in the fifth, pitching one inning and did not allow a run or a hit and struck out one batter.

UP NEXT The Bobcats return to Athens for a three-game set against Akron April 13-14. On Friday, April 13, first pitch is set for 4 p.m. at the Ohio Softball Field. The two teams will finish the three-game series with a doubleheader set to being at 1 p.m. at the OSF.